abasement means the act of abasing, humbling, or bringing low. It carries an Arena rating of 1557, earned across 7 head-to-head judged battles.
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, abasement ranks #1,681 of 17,134 for Most Malleable Words, #2,124 of 17,127 for Words That Escaped Their Books, #3,583 of 17,128 for Most Ponderous Words, #4,710 of 17,131 for Scariest Words.
abasement is pronounced /əˈbeɪs.mənt/.
Why “abasement” is a great word
The state of being forcibly lowered in dignity or self-esteem, from Middle English abaissement, from Middle French abaissement, from abaisser ('to lower, humble'), equivalent to abase ('to lower, degrade') + -ment ('state or act of'). Unlike humility, which implies a voluntary and often virtuous recognition of one's limits, or debasement, which concerns the adulteration of a substance's value, abasement is the specific, imposed lowering of a person. It is the physical sensation of kneeling on a hard floor, the hot flush of shame rising in the cheeks before a crowd, and the hollow silence that follows a cruel reprimand—the external world calibrating the precise weight required to press a spirit down.
Etymology
From Middle English abaissement, from Middle French abaissement (“astonishment”). Equivalent to abase + -ment. Compare French abaissement.
noun
- The act of abasing, humbling, or bringing low.e.g.“For quotations using this term, see Citations:abasement.”
- The state of being abased or humbled; humiliation or degradation; a feeling of having been reduced in dignity, reputation, stature, self-esteem or respect.e.g.“After his actions, my abasement is complete, and I can be humiliated no more.”
Definitions & examples from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
Words closest in meaning
By meaning, not spelling — each word's AI semantic fingerprint, nearest first.
- abasure 85% match — The condition of being abased; humiliation; abasement vs abasement →
- abase 80% match — To lower, as in condition in life, office, rank, etc., so as to cause pain or hurt feelings; to degrade, to depress, to humble, to humiliate. vs abasement →
- abasingly 80% match — In an abasing manner. vs abasement →
- abasedness 80% match — The quality of being abased. vs abasement →
- abaser 78% match — One who, or that which, abases. vs abasement →
- abjection 77% match — A low or downcast condition; meanness of spirit; abasement; degradation. vs abasement →
- abased 74% match — Humbled; lowered, especially in rank, position, or prestige. vs abasement →
- abjectness 72% match — The state of being abject; abasement; meanness; servility. vs abasement →